GF money used to build pens
Dec 07, 2005
A Rakai-based NGO known as Kifamba Zuukuka Programme used most of the Global Fund grant to pay its staff extra allowances, which tripled their salaries.
By Apollo Mubiru and John Odyek
A Rakai-based NGO known as Kifamba Zuukuka Programme used most of the Global Fund grant to pay its staff extra allowances, which tripled their salaries.
The commission of inquiry into the alleged mismanagement of the Global Fund found out on Tuesday that the NGO had extravagantly used the sh37m grant it received from the Project Management Unit.
Testifying before the commission, Moses Lugonvu, the programme manager, said three of their staff got an allowance of sh450,000 each for the 15 days to supervise the construction of goat pens.
The goats were distributed to beneficiaries in the nearby villages.
Each of the staff was entitled to a monthly salary of sh200,000. The same employees were also paid sh390,000 each to supervise the construction of poultry pens in 13 days.
Justice James Ogoola, who chairs the probe, said the NGO had no moral justification to spend the money that way.
“Everything we read in this document is not convincing. I put it to you that all this was cooked up and doctored to make it appear some sort of accounting,†Ogoola said.
Lugonvu presented a receipt from a Luwum Street-based company, Global-Wide Designs, which deals in advertising, computer graphics and printing, showing that the company was paid sh5m for the supply of T-shirts, flyers, foot and netballs, certificates and posters.
The commission queried how the company supplied balls, which were not an item it was dealing in.
Lugonvu said they hired a village primary school hall to conduct crafts training at a cost of sh560,000 for 14 days. He said they spent sh500,000 on fuel to distribute goats in 10 days.
“Tell me which primary school can charge over half a million for a classroom,†Ogooola asked.
A Rakai-based NGO known as Kifamba Zuukuka Programme used most of the Global Fund grant to pay its staff extra allowances, which tripled their salaries.
The commission of inquiry into the alleged mismanagement of the Global Fund found out on Tuesday that the NGO had extravagantly used the sh37m grant it received from the Project Management Unit.
Testifying before the commission, Moses Lugonvu, the programme manager, said three of their staff got an allowance of sh450,000 each for the 15 days to supervise the construction of goat pens.
The goats were distributed to beneficiaries in the nearby villages.
Each of the staff was entitled to a monthly salary of sh200,000. The same employees were also paid sh390,000 each to supervise the construction of poultry pens in 13 days.
Justice James Ogoola, who chairs the probe, said the NGO had no moral justification to spend the money that way.
“Everything we read in this document is not convincing. I put it to you that all this was cooked up and doctored to make it appear some sort of accounting,†Ogoola said.
Lugonvu presented a receipt from a Luwum Street-based company, Global-Wide Designs, which deals in advertising, computer graphics and printing, showing that the company was paid sh5m for the supply of T-shirts, flyers, foot and netballs, certificates and posters.
The commission queried how the company supplied balls, which were not an item it was dealing in.
Lugonvu said they hired a village primary school hall to conduct crafts training at a cost of sh560,000 for 14 days. He said they spent sh500,000 on fuel to distribute goats in 10 days.
“Tell me which primary school can charge over half a million for a classroom,†Ogooola asked.